40 Years of Drug War Hasn't Worked: Eric Sterling, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation

I'm all for legalizing everything under the sun. Though I don't think that would be anything like a panacea (not that the article says that), even regarding the connection between drugs and imprisonment.

Heroin will still ruin your life even if it is legal. Many people will still end up in prison because of it too - maybe not for possession (though I imagine dealing would still remain illegal), but because addiction can force one to rob, steal, and who knows what else in order to support the habit. The best solution there would be to throw as much money as possible at treatment. Plenty of people will not be able to beat their addiction, but hopefully many will.

I say baby steps. Medical marijuana, followed by decriminalization of small amounts, followed by full legalization, followed by similar steps with harder drugs.

This seems clear from the anti-cigarette campaigns that have been waged in the last decades.

If cigarettes were illegal, they would result in as much mayhem as is now caused by the war on other drugs. But we choose to take a harm reduction stance toward cigarette smoking.

I would rather have tax dollars going to support treatment and legal availability to reduce crime and to facilitate treatment for those with addictions.

For those who want to use cannabis - since it is less dangerous than either alcohol or cigarettes, and does not pose anywhere near the danger to physical or mental well being for the vast majority of the population compared two legal drugs that are available to adults - I see no reason to treat cannabis differently than those two.

The baby steps have already been taken since the mid 1990s with the introduction of medical cannabis law in CA, followed by more than a dozen other states. These changes in law have passed with an overwhelming majority in those states. CA implemented decriminalization via Gov. Ahnuld. Baby steps began in the 1970s with Carter - isn't it time for the U.S. to grow the fuck up?

It is long past time for baby steps on the cannabis issue. It is time for the government to step up and recognize they are part of the problem in this situation and they need to remove cannabis from the drug schedules.

Portugal changed their laws - but they, apparently, do not have to deal with the levels of propaganda that Americans do - or else they don't have entrenched lobbies that have more say over the fate of American lives than the citizens of this nation.

I don't know if that was the case in Portugal. Probably not, though drugs are the least of their problems right now.

For most Americans, drug issues are neither here nor there right now. But . . . you start talking about serious cuts to SS and Medicare and all of a sudden you will have millions demanding every last penny that can possibly be used to stall those cuts be found. The amounts that would be raised/saved from a dramatic turn in drug policy would only be drops in the bucket, but every single drop will matter once core benefits are threatened.

I've said this here before, but you have a growing constituency for drug law changes, including progressive Dems and libertarian Republicans. That's not a whole lot of people right now, but Joe and Jane Doe will start caring when shit they actually need about is on the chopping block and many will gladly sacrifice the drug war for that.

At least I hope :)

Those who are most opposed are the elderly and conservatives.

the numbers for full legalization are about even now - among self-described liberals support is greater than 70%

low THC cannabis would also then be available for farmers and manufacturers to create replacements for many petrol-based products.

seems to me it would be a boost to "open" an economy - capitalists who are hoarding now would have a new market to invest in. R&D, etc.

...and a more humane way to make a profit.

It should also be considered that Prohibition increases the price of these drugs dramatically, which can only lead to a greater need for addicts to steal, among other things. This War on Drugs is incredible - nothing but venom all around for citizens.

Also, I did not at all expect that Eric would get railed against like that in the comments. There is a lot of frustration seething about.

I was at work all day but checked them out. Lots of good information there - and, yeah, lots of anger. It's understandable - a lot of people are simply outdone about a lot of things - the economy most of all - which is why something... oh, I dunno... progressive and forward-thinking and not subservient to the fears of the religious right (the one group, other than the elderly, that were largely opposed) would be nice to see among those in power.

It's sort of sad to think that the WoD was part of the "Southern Strategy." But it makes sense - considering that Nixon wanted to neutralize his enemies (and their rights to vote) - young people, minorities, self-identified liberals... the rise of the religious right coincided with the WoD - while I find it hard to imagine people who spend their time trying to figure out ways to disenfranchise voters - I've seen too much of it among the republicans - some of it so blatantly racist - that it is entirely plausible to me to see this as an extension of dirty tricks.

And, sadly, after reading Pulitzer-nominated Robert Parry's "Lost History," I can definitely see how Reagan's ramping up the WoD was a way to funnel money to those in Central and South America who subjected that part of the world to horrific decades. Since the U.S. has been preoccupied with the Middle East, a lot of Latin America nations have been able to create a better world for themselves - a long process, but that part of the world, to me, is like the poster child for the U.S. to mind its own business. Dirty tricks lead to dirty wars.

...except then we read about things like that unaccountable "misplace" 6 billion in Iraq and... whaddayaknow... Eric Prince/Blackwater Xe is stationed in Dubai and able to operate outside of govt jurisdiction as a private army for the right wing - it's Reagan on steroids.

I would be REALLY SHOCKED if Obama did anything about this issue. I think the calls for scheduling hearings will have to come through Congress and with public pressure.